Harry Potter: The Warlock of Slytherin
by Wordseeker
Summary: Blamed for his mothers death after Voldemort's attack, Harry has been left with the Dursley's at the age of one. His brother Daniel Potter has been raised by James Potter and has been called the prophesied saviour of the wizarding world. Now, at age 11, both the brothers are beginning their Hogwarts journey where adventure,mystery, and secrets await them. Pairings: Pure H/Hr.
1. Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express

**Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express**  
>A tiny boy in nondescript clothes under a tattered, baggy, robe which covered his small frame stood on Kings Cross Station. He was eleven years of age, though his manner and bearing seemed to be of one who had already faced much of life's dreary onslaught.<br>He strode forward purposely and walked into the wall between platform 9 and 10, and promptly passed through it.  
>A scarlet steam engine stood on the other side, happily billowing away. For the first time since he had been to the station, the boy smiled. A smile which was equal parts mirth, anticipation, and excitement.<br>After an absence of almost eleven years, Harry Potter was going to Hogwarts.  
>No, not Harry Potter, Harry Black was going to Hogwarts...And the fate of the magical would be irrevocably changed forever.<p>

He took his small trunk and quickly made way to an empty compartment, electing to sit and read alone instead of spending it in the company of his fellow students...especially those two...no three...he would prefer not having to see their faces if he could help it.

Sadly, as it often does, Fate decided to intervene at this point and when he looked out of the window for a small moment, he saw man with messy jet-black hair in resplendent robes hugging a boy who appeared to be a miniature version of the man. He was now sitting besides the boy and grinning as he whispered something in his ear and the boy smiled in return. James Potter and his ilk.  
>Besides them a family of red heads was being hugged by a matronly woman while the man at her side smiled at them genially. The sight of pure familial bliss. The Weasleys, standing by the Potter's as it had been for ages.<br>For a moment, a small moment, Harry envied the sight of family and happiness, but he quashed it before it could grow and he set up the emotionless facade he had quickly learnt to put up at a young age at the Dursleys. After all, tears and pain had been constant companions of his while growing up, and they had never been of help before. So, slowly he had given up on them and had perfected this emotionless mask below which he could hide and be safe from all that life threw at him. 'Face your enemies with a smile on your face, even if you fail, you'll have infuriated them', this was an old maxim he had learnt over the years.

For the smallest of seconds, his eyes met those of James Potter's, and he stared at the elder man steely, who frowned in response, before turning to the demands of his son who was pulling at him.

Harry turned back to his book, already pushing the experience to the back of his mind and concentrating on the task at hand. Transfiguration needed quite a bit of concentration, after all.

The train hooted and whistled merrily before beginning on its journey, and Harry who was already immersed in the book muttered, "Finally". He thought he could hear a rapping noise, but he ignored it, not willing to divert his attention from the fairly complex theory he was studying. He heard the sound again, but he did not give it any mind, before he heard the door slide open. A bushy haired girl had entered the compartment and taken the seat opposite his, before rummaging in her trunk for something.

"You know, it's rude to enter without knocking", he told the girl who he thought was trespassing in his compartment.

"I did knock. Quite a few times, but you were to engrossed in your book to take notice and I decided to let myself in instead of spending the next hour trying to get your attention", she said crisply. Harry raised his eyebrows at her explanation, and her cheeks coloured a little at his gaze and she held out a hand, "I'm Hermione Granger, I'm the first magical in my family, I wasn't very rude, was I?" She spoke in a quickfire way, hand still held out and cheeks red as a strawberry at having made a fool of herself, judging from the amused expression on her fellow passenger's face.

And from the range of expressions on her face, from happiness, to the pink tinge of having made a fool or herself, to the barely hidden fear that she would be seen in contempt, Harry could guess that she was scared of being mocked and teased. She was about to pull her hand back and mumble apologies, when Harry grasped it and said, "Hello Hermione, I'm Harry. Friends?"

She relaxed almost imperceptibly at that, but it was easily noticed by Harry who had grown up with the Dursleys and honed his skill of reading a person's demeanour, which had been essential for surviving the attentions of his 'loving' family.

Hermione's chocolate brown eyes widened at his words, and the full blown smile on her face conveyed the depth of her happiness at having made a friend, instead of the fiasco she thought her actions had led to.

"So are you the first magical person in your family?" Asked Hermione, her ebullient personality coming to the fore now that they'd gotten comfortable with each other.

"Na, my mom was a witch too", he said, chewing on a chocolate frog he'd picked up from the Lady with the Sweets Trolley.  
>"Oh you must have learnt a terrible amount from her, right? I've read a few of the books but I don't know whether it'll be enough to catch up with everyone", she spoke at a rat-a-tat rate.<p>

Harry shrugged noncomitally, not wanting to speak about his deceased mother and chose to ignore the question in favour of amusement at her combination of excitement and anxiety.

"If you've already done as much as you say you have, I'm sure you'll easily be among the top students in our year", Harry said. His praise caused her to blush once again,and Harry realized that he quite liked making her do that.

"Really? You aren't just saying that, are you?" She asked in a small but hopeful voice.

"I wouldn't do that you you," he said simply, causing her to go red again.

The Hogwarts Express was eating the miles and the both of them were engaged in conversation, when there was a rapping at the door and the two of the three people Harry least wanted to see entered their compartment.

A boy with messy black hair in rich robes followed by a red haired one in slightly battered robes and another pudgy boy.

"Either of you seen a toad here? Neville's can't seem to find his" demanded the first boy, pointing at the pudgy faced one.

"No", Harry spoke tersely, returning to his book and trying to ignore the boy.

"Oh, alright. I'm Daniel Potter by the way. This is Ron Weasley, and that's Neville Long bottom", he said pointing at the red haired boy and the pudgy faced one.

"Hermione Granger", replied Hermione, while Harry simply replied, "Harry".  
>Daniel nodded, before noticing the book propped in Hermione's lap, 'Hogwarts: A History'.<p>

"So which house do you think you'll be in?" Daniel asked her. Harry had gone back to reading his book, while Hermione was confused at his sudden change in behaviour, a need to draw him out of it, and to make new friends.

"Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw, I think", she replied. "You?"  
>"Dad was a Gryffindor, I hope to follow in his footsteps. So was Albums Dumbledore," he puffed up proudly at that.<br>"Yeah, my entire family's been in Gryffindor as well," added Ronald, while Neville merely nodded.

"And what about you?" Daniel asked, looking giving Harry and his too big robe and tattered cloak a once over.

"Wherever, doesn't matter", he replied shortly.  
>"You wouldn't mind being in Slytherin?"Asked Daniel, shocked. The two with him had similar expressions of disdain and contempt at the mention of Slytherin.<br>"Why would I mind?" Asked Harry.  
>"Because most dark wizards have been Slytherins. It's the house of evil", said Daniel in a whisper as if he was imparting great knowledge.<p>

Harry snorted at that.  
>"You disagree?" Daniel asked, eyes narrowed.<br>"I find it stupid that an entire house can be evil. And why would there be an evil house in a school", Harry asked.  
>"You wouldn't know, Salazar Slytherin was one of the school's founders and he was evil. I'm not gonna be caught dead in that house, I'm the Boy Who Lived after all", Daniel puffed up at his own words while the two boys with him nodded solemnly.<br>"Good for you", Harry said with such derision that not even Daniel could miss the sarcasm.  
>"You're probably gonna be in Slytherin, with that attitude. I hope to see you in Gryffindor, Hermione. Don't let him poison your mind. We'll help you get settled in the house", he said, turning around and made to leave the compartment. Just before exiting, he paused and looked at Hermione, "Don't hesitate to come to us for help if this one tries to hurt you, Hermione," and with that, he and his lackeys were gone.<p>

"You can leave with them, of you want," Harry mumbled.

This time it was Hermione's turn to be surprised at Harry's demeanour, but she realized that he didn't mean it. Perhaps he too was used to being as friendless as she was? She smiled and gave him a quick hug, "Now why would I leave my first friend and go away?" Though Harry didn't show it, he was glad that she didn't leave with the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends and stood by him for having different opinions.

He reckoned that this friendship thing was quite good.


	2. Chapter 2: The Sorting

**Author's Note: The part in bold is taken directly from the books. You may skip it if you wish, though it helps jog the memory and helps link the passages. An inelegant solution for now, but it will have to do until I find a better one.**

**Chapter 2: The Sorting**

The Sorting  
>"Firs' years, firs' years over here", a loud voice was booming by the Hogwarts Express when Harry and Hermione got down. They followed it and came to a giant of a man with a huge scraggly beard shepherding the first years.<br>"I'm Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts, and I'll be taking you to the Castle," he gave a wide grin to all the first years, most of whom were awed by his size. He lead them towards the lake and settled them in the boats, while carrying a conversation with Daniel and his friends. Harry grimaced at the sight. Those three quickly took a boat and were laughing when they were joined by a girl who gave them disapproving stares, causing their laughter to come to a close. Harry didn't know who she was, but he still smiled at the sight.

"Come on quickly, Harry", exclaimed Hermione as she dragged him towards the boat in her enthusiasm.  
>They settled into the boat and were soon joined by a two girls who had an air of sophistication and haughtiness around them. The newcomers did not exchange small talk with them, so Harry left them to their own conversation. Hermione, however, was not to be deterred and spoke, "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you," she said, holding out a hand to them. The girls did not say anything for a moment, but then the first one slowly shook Hermione's hand. "Daphne Greengrass", was all that she said.<br>"Tracy Davis" added her compatriot in turn, following her lead.  
>Before Hermione could say anything else, the Hogwarts Castle popped into view on the lake, its many turrets and towers glowing golden under moonlight, and the sheer beauty of the sight rendered all of them speechless. Magic, that was the only word which could do justice to the vista before them.<br>By the time they regained their bearings, they'd reached the Castle and were ushered towards the castle gates by Hagrid.

Hogwarts Castle...Harry continued staring in silent wonder at the magnificence of the massive monolith.

"Hanging out with riff-raff, are we, Greengrass", said a voice, snapping Harry out of his reverie. It belonged to a boy with blonde hair slicked back with what must have been copious amounts of gel.  
>Harry narrowed his eyes at the intruder who was sneering at him and his ragged robes. He sneered, "Soon you'll be spending time with mudbloods and calling them friends. I thought the Greengrass family had standards."<p>

"You're quiet a rude person", said Hermione suddenly, startling Harry. "I don't know what that term means but I'm sure it isn't anything nice. Don't you have any manners?" She remarked glaring at him. The gobsmacked expression on Malfoy's face was priceless. It was obvious that he hadn't expected that anyone would talk back to him. Even Daphne and Tracy were caught between awe and surprise at the swift manner with which Hermione had dressed down Malfoy. "Your lack of knowledge makes it obvious that you must be a mudblood as well. Respect your betters girl, or you'll find Hogwarts a difficult place to be", He retorted with a sleazy sneer.

Harry who had been quite during the entire exchange stepped forward, wand held aloft. "Leave, or you will be made to leave". Draco was about to respond in similar manner when he noticed the firm grip that Harry had on his wand and the firmness of his eyes, like gleaming orbs of emerald fire. He wisely chose to keep quiet and turned away, though not before muttering, "This place is going to the dogs. My father will hear about this," to Daphne who merely gave him a cold glance, while a range of emotions flickered on Tracy's face.

Before either of them could say anything, a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes came towards the group of first years. She had a stern countenance and Harry's first thought was that this was not a woman to cross. Hagrid, who had finished talking to Daniel and his friends had come ahead on her arrival.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She frowned at him and pulled the doors wide.

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big youcould have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase**

**facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering**

**about nervously.**

**"****Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. "The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rulebreaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.** Harry hid a smile at their chastened reaction. She then gave a the barest flicker of a smile to Daniel and the girl who was standing beside him, causing Harry's smile to disappear as soon as it had showed up.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Ronald swallowed.

"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" Hermione asked him.

""Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," replied Ron who had overheard her question. Harry snorted. "Oh yeah, what do you know about it?" Ron looked at Harry derisively.

"Well, it's obvious that they wouldn't have a test for us, seeing that we're only first years, some of who didn't even know about the magical world until a couple of months ago", He said tonelessly.

"Well, then they'll just be sent home, I imagine. Or that's how a proper school would work", remarked Draco Malfoy, popping out of nowhere and adding to the conversation. Ron looked like he'd swallowed a bug having a Malfoy agree with him. "Personally, I believe -" began Malfoy before Hermione rudely cut him short, "No one cares about what you believe".

This time it was the Draco's turn to do his best imitation of a fish out of water at having been trumped by Hermione once again. Harry just enjoyed the show, like a convoluted ping pong match.

"Wait till my father –" began Draco again, when the girl standing beside Daniel cut him off, "Yeah, yeah, can you stop annoying everyone on the first day of school, Malfoy? We'd rather not ruin our appetites hearing you sprout Death Eater rubbish", she spoke with venom, eyes flashing. Daniel was about to add something when she elbowed him in the side and motioned for him to shut up. He glowered a bit but refrained from adding anything. Harry eyed her carefully, but couldn't place her, though he did notice that she had startling green eyes like his own and that surprised him. He'd never seen that shade of green on anyone else in the magical world yet. This girl, whoever she was, was an enigma. The fact Daniel didn't behave like a moron around her was interesting as well. This would be an interesting year. She noticed him looking in their direction and gave him a small smile. Daniel frowned and glared daggers at him along with Ron.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough," said Hermione, bringing the conversation to a close.

That's when the silvery white ghosts appeared and caused most of them to jump, along with inciting screams from many of them.

**They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"**

**"****My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?**

**He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

**Nobody answered.**

**"****New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

**"****Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old House, you know."**

**"****Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

**"****Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

Nervous despite his outer appearance, Harry followed Hermione into the hall, followed by the two girls who had shared the boat ride with them.

Harry was greeted by a sight the likes of which he had never seen before when he entered the great hall. Torches hung on braziers along the walls, lending gravitas to the atmosphere, while candles floated in the air, illuminating the Great Hall in its entirety. The starry night sky interspersed with clouds and gleaming moonlight was visible directly overhead, and Harry's breath caught at the beautiful vision before him. "The ceiling's enchanted to resemble the sky above, I read it in _Hogwarts: A History_", said Hermione. He smiled at her explanation, drinking in the beauty of it all. Harry had had a hard life, and there wasn't much of beauty in it, but he knew that this memory, along with that of his first glimpse of Hogwarts from the lake would stay in his heart forever, warm and comfortable…like home…or what home should be like, he thought.

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

**_Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, _****Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing — noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to**

**sing: **

**"****_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_**

**_But don't judge on what you see,_**

**_I'll eat myself if you can find_**

**_A smarter hat than me._**

**_You can keep your bowlers black,_**

**_Your top hats sleek and tall,_**

**_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_**

**_And I can cap them all._**

**_There's nothing hidden in your head_**

**_The Sorting Hat can't see,_**

**_So try me on and I will tell you_**

**_Where you ought to be. _**

**_You might belong in Gryffindor,_**

**_Where dwell the brave at heart,_**

**_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_**

**_Set Gryffindors apart;_**

**_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_**

**_Where they are just and loyal,_**

**_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_**

**_And unafraid of toil;_**

**_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_**

**_If you've a ready mind,_**

**_Where those of wit and learning,_**

**_Will always find their kind;_**

**_Or perhaps in Slytherin_**

**_You'll make your real friends,_**

**_Those cunning folk use any means_**

**_To achieve their ends._**

**_So put me on! Don't be afraid _****!**

**_And don't get in a flap_****!**

**_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_**

**_For I'm a Thinking Cap_****!"**

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Daniel. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Even Harry smiled at the silly image of a few first years facing a troll on their own.

Hermione was almost jumping up and down in excitement beside him.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause —**

**"****HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.**

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

**"****Bones, Susan!"**

**"****HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

**"****Boot, Terry!"**

**"****RAVENCLAW!"**

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

**"****HUFFLEPUFF!"**

**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the House at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

**"****Granger, Hermione!"**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

**"****GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat **after a few minutes**. **Almost three minutes, the longest sorting of the day, thought Harry.

Harry smiled tightly at that. That was the house Daniel and his friends would end up in, and not somewhere he wanted to end up in. He just hoped that he'd be able to stay friends with Hermione seeing that their chances of ending up in similar houses were now next to none, especially since inter-house unity wasn't exactly strong at Hogwarts, from what he'd learnt.

The Hat shouted "Slytherin!" almost as soon as it touched Malfoy's head. Longbottom ended up in Gryffindor, and he nervously went over and sat there.

"Daniel Potter", shouted Professor McGonagall, and a silence descended on the Great Hall. He strode forth confidently and a tad pompously and the Hat spent a couple of minutes on his head before shouting, "Gryffindor!"

The yells from the house were raucous in their intensity and two red haired twins were doing a merry jig, shouting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Daniel smirked, lifted the Hat, winked at Hagrid who was clapping vigorously, and went to sit with his fellow housemates.

Expected, thought Harry.

"Iris Potter," shouted Professor McGonagall, and another hush drew on the crowd. Harry's brows disappeared in his bangs as he heard the name. He'd never known of an Iris Potter. This was weird, and unexpected.

The girl with the emerald eyes who had been standing by Daniel in the line walked forth, with all of his previous confident but without any of the pomp or arrogance. The Hat was on her head for almost 5 minutes before it shouted, "Gryffindor!"

The house was in uproar and the students were shouting in glee. The red haired twins were now on their table and doing a tap dance routine, "We both Potters, we got both Potters!" they sang.

Harry grimaced at that as the girl went off and joined her brother purposefully, only acknowledging all the applause with a slight bow. Even the venerated Albus Dumbledore looked delighted at the placement of both Potters.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said the Hat once it was Ronald's turn. The Hat deliberated for half a minute and Ron's face paled before the Hat finally shouted, "Gryffindor!" Harry could swear he saw Ron heave a sigh of relief when the Hat said that and he wondered what it was the Hat had said that had made him so afraid.

Once Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin, Harry was the only student who remained unsorted.

Headmaster Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at that, and even professor McGonagall appeared confused at having missed a student. Before anyone could say anything, or voice objections that there had been a mistake, the Hat softly spoke a single name in the quietness that had followed the confusion, "Harry". Despite the soft tone of the voice, it carried and rang throughout the Hall due to the silence which had been permeating it. Even the great Albus Dumbledore appeared confused at that. Harry smirked inwardly at that, but strode forward confidently and placed the Hat on his head.

"Harry Potter", said a voice in his head.

"It's Black," replied Harry immediately.

"Indeed it is, m'boy," said the Hat, before it began rummaging through his past and his memories. "I do not like anyone looking through my memories. My head is my own", said Harry firmly.

"Of course it is, but I never reveal the secrets of those I sort. It is against the edict of my creation", the Sorting Hat replied. Harry nodded at that, but still decided to learn of a way to block having his thoughts read so wantonly by anyone. "Ah, so wise, for one so young," said the Hat, sensing his decision and the firmness behind it.

Harry did not respond to it, what could he say? He was not one used to being praised. He only did what was necessary for him to survive. "Truly indomitable", said the Hat. "Ah, where to place you, where"

Harry shrugged at that.

"A keen mind, Ravenclaw would do well to have you. Sharp wit combined with intellect and the smartness one gains through experience and loss, you would truly become a force to be reckoned with there." Harry remained silent.

"Loyal to those who are true to you, you would go to the ends of the Earth for your friends. Loyalty that even Helga would have been proud of, Hufflepuff would do well to have you," said the Hat. Harry shrugged at that, he didn't mind getting placed anywhere as long as he wasn't with Daniel and his lackeys.

"Ah, but you are by far braver than you think you are. Courage, you have in abundance. You could become the leader of Gryffindor, lead them to glory, though it seems others have already decided and spoken for that house," said the Hat. "Not Gryffindor, not with Daniel or the Potters," said Harry.

"I can understand your aversion to them. They left you when you needed them the most, but that House could still lead you to greatness", said the Hat.

"No, thank you," replied Harry firmly.

"You have enough cunning to be in Slytherin, and the patience to hide in the shadows and strike when the time is right. I daresay that you could rule Slytherin and wield influence and power the kind that only one student of that house has managed to gather and use in the past hundred years. You could rise greater than him, greater than any since the time of Salazar himself, and while you are at it, you could change the dynamic of the Snake's Pit. You could restore it to the nobility and honour that it should have had, and should aspire to, than the festering darkness and dank decay that it has gone into in recent years. The path will be perilous, but you have the potential to do it. Restore Hogwarts and Slytherin to its rightful place, drive away the darkness. A mighty task for one so young, and yet, you have it within you to do it. Do you accept? Hogwarts would be in your debt if you would aid in cleansing it of the taint of evil. It can only ask you for aid, it is upon you to answer", said the Hat in an impassioned voice.

Harry smiled. Yes, he would probably end up with a lot of unsavoury and hateful characters in Slytherin, and pompous gits like Malfoy, but he had a chance to change the world for the better. To leave his own mark on history and on the wizarding world, and that was an ideal he could aspire to. "Do it", he said.

"Ah, ambition and cunning, you have both. Indeed, I think we have chosen right, Harry Black. Go, go towards your destiny, Harry!"

And with that, the Sorting Hat roared, "Slytherin!"

Harry took of the Hat, placed it on the stool and calmly walked to his new housemates. Unbeknownst to him, the Sorting had lasted for a full fifteen minutes, breaking the record for the longest ever Sorting by quite a margin and there were a number of hushed conversations going on along the students and even among the teachers at the Head table.

He went and sat at the far end of the table beside Daphne and Tracy, who'd shared the boat ride with him. They took no notice of him, and continued talking as if he wasn't there, which was fine by him. He looked up from his seat towards the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione waving at him. She'd been trying to catch his eye for quite a while, it seemed. He smiled softly and waved back at her. Daniel tried to get her attention along with Ron, and she gave Harry an apologetic look before trying to answer them in a polite voice.

Of course, they were house mates now. Harry's smiled faltered for a small moment before he caught himself and put on an impassive mask. He was in the viper's pit and it wouldn't do to show signs of weakness. Dumbledore said a small speech which he ignored and food appeared on the table.

Harry began digging into his food as the girls by him finally looked at him and tried to initiate a small conversation. Harry smiled and replied politely.

Seven years to make his mark on Slytherin house and Hogwarts. The dynamics of Hogwarts had just changed, and Harry was determined to be at the centre of it all, working his magic from the shadows.

Ah, the taste of adventure was in the air!


	3. Chapter 3: Hogwarts

**Author's Note:** Here's a fresh new chapter of The Warlock of Slytherin for y'all! Enjoy :)

**Chapter 3: Hogwarts**

After making small talk with Daphne and Tracy who weren't as distant to him now that they were housemates, Harry followed the prefects to the Slytherin dormitories in the dungeons.

Once all the first years were in the common room, the seventh year prefect turned to them.  
>"Listen up you twerps, this is SlytherinS, and unlike the other houses, we expect certain standards from all our students." He began speaking in an impassioned voice, "First of all, any issues you have with a fellow Slytherin must be sorted inside the house. No noise of intra house conflicts must ever go beyond the dungeons. If you have a problem with anyone from any of the other houses, approach the prefects, and if we are not available, only then are you to approach Professor Snape. He does not appreciate being disturbed by the problems of eleven and twelve year old children. While you are here, the house is your family, and it does not bode well to tattle against a member of your family, does it?" He said the last part in a menacing tone. "Above all, Slytherin respects power and cunning. You must prove yourself to be worthy of Slytherin, otherwise bad things can and will happen to you", He spoke in a menacing tone.<br>"I expect all of you to know the basics of warding. If you don't, you have one week to get ready, after that everyone is fair game." He did not explain beyond this, but the smirks on some of the older students were enough to give Harry an idea of what he meant by it.  
>"Be careful when you deal with outsiders, respect your seniors, respect power, and behave with the cunning that is expected of you, and you should not have problems. Bring shame upon the house, and you shall be punished," his face lit up with glee, as if the thought of punishing someone was one he took great pleasure in. And he probably did.<br>"Remember your schedule and learn your way around the castle. The prefects and seniors shall help you for tomorrow, but after that you're to navigate the castle on your own. Losing points due to tardiness or other reasons is frowned upon. Do your house proud, and you may just survive. Is that understood?" He looked at the first years, and barring Harry all of them nodded in abeyance. His eyes narrowed at Harry's apparent nonchalance, but he ignored it for now. "Then that shall be all. Do your house proud. The password for the common room is Magic is Might. Goodnight", and with that, he turned and walked out of the room to his dormitory, leaving the first years in healthy fear of him. Apart from Harry, only Malfoy appeared completely calm at this welcome to Slytherin, but then that was probably because the elder Malfoy held a lot of clout in all the right circles and Draco knew that no one in Slytherin would dare try to harm or prank him. The consequences would be most dire for the offender.

Harry calmly mouthed a goodnight to Daphne and Tracy and moved to room. It was the last among five at the end of the corridor.

Harry's room, like all the other rooms in Slyterin house was decked in green and silver colours. It had a four poster bed, a leather couch which looked grossly luxurious, and a small fireplace where an enchanted fire was burning without producing any fumes. Harry closed the door to his room and proceeded to ward it. He'd studied the basics of Runes and Arithmancy since a few years, despite them being third year subjects. They'd been very handy in his survival with the Dursleys and then later on his own after Sirius' imprisonment. His eyes flashed with rage at the thought of the false imprisonment of the only man who'd been family to him.

He blinked away the tears which were threatening to fall and set to work on creating a ward line by the door, which would be threatened if anyone of evil intent was knocking on the door or forcing entry in anyway. He followed it up with several other wars for punishment and retaliation depending on intent and tied them all together so that they would look like an illegible mesh to anyone who tried to 'see' them. This was all hidden behind a Veil of Secrecy so that even a discerning wardbreaker would have a tough time to see the wards. He'd also set up an alarm to rouse him in case of intruders breaking past the first layer of his wards, but he hoped that it wouldn't have to come to that. Beyond that he added a few more surprises for intruders and trespassers. You couldn't be too careful. He knew that the Slytherin elder years had said that they had a week to get their wards up before they would begin anything, but Harry knew that they weren't beyond making an example of one of the first years just for the heck of it. Plus he'd not shown the prefect respect, Stone, or whatever his name was, and he wanted to be ready to face any retaliation.

He relaxed only once he was sure that his wards were of sufficient strength and with a tired smile went off to sleep.

He got up after a good night's sleep in the morning and got ready for the first day of classes. On opening the door, he saw a three seventh year Slytherin's including the prefect Stone hanging upside down in the corridor before his door, their undergarments visible to all. They also looked to be in a state of terror, judging by the state of their rapidly moving eyeballs and constantly flickering eyelids. He smirked nastily at them and waved them adieu before proceeding to the common room, wand ready to slip out at a moment's notice if someone decided to attack him and gain Stone's favour.

The common room was filled with a few of the sixth and first year students. From the shocked expressions on their faces it was obvious that they had not expected him to walk out nonchalantly from the corridor while Stone and his cronies remained absent. Draco's mouth which had been twisted in a sneer suddenly turned into surprised dismay at his unharmed appearance. His other fellow first years stood awestruck, while Daphne gave him an appraising look.

Harry turned to face them, "Let this serve as a warning to you all. If you decide to mess with me, prepare to lose. Stone spoke about power yesterday, and I agree wholeheartedly. However he was mistaken in his assumption that he is the powerful one. Attempts to harm me will be treated with extreme prejudice." He was sure that they wouldn't give up so soon, but he thought it necessary to start subduing them before he had to resort to more extreme measures. With a "Morning", to Daphne and Tracy, he left the common room and proceeded towards the Great Hall for breakfast, leaving the tangled seventh years hanged to their fate.

Harry was midway through his breakfast, delighting in the coffee, when a large shadow suddenly loomed over him. "Mr. Harry…" said Severus Snape, the words grinding out of him, before he realized that he did not know Harry's last name.

"Black," finished Harry for him. A small light of recognition lit in Snape's eyes before it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"Mr. Black", said Snape. "What do you have to say about the students hanging upside down in front of your door in the dormitories?"

"Nothing," replied Harry, sipping his coffee.

"Nothing?" inquired Snape, slowly.

"Nothing," affirmed Harry. "The only reason I can think of for them being in such an embarrassing position is if they intended to harm someone and tripped their victim's wards, thereby having their own intentions turned against them. But you probably knew that, professor." He added the last word after a small pause, not unlike the one Snape himself was accustomed to using.

For only the second time in his life, Severus Snape was left surprised, and that too by a first year. But he was most interested in checking the wards, and the intent of his students against the first years. He had heard of the rumours about what the first years had to face in their initial weeks in Slytherin, but he had dismissed them as just that – rumours. It seemed that there was more to it, and despite all his failings, Severus Snape was a professor. He decided to look into the wards that the student… A Black of all people – had spoken about, and what exactly the upper years were up to. He also had to see whether the Headmaster had known about this and had not taken action. It would be unlike Albus to let such behaviour go unchecked, especially if it was meant to harm, but despite all the claims and rumours otherwise, he knew that Albus Dumbledore wasn't omniscient, and it could have slipped his mind.

"Thank you, Mr. Black. The matter will be looked into", said Snape, offering nothing beyond that as an apology for the failing of the staff to look after the children.

"I expect nothing less from such an esteemed institution", Harry said, tipping his cup of coffee to Snape. As he was heading back to the Head table, Severus frowned at the child's reaction, the tip of the cup had felt more like a silent dismissal than anything else, yet he was stunned that the boy had remained so self-assured and confident while talking with Snape, and also while mentioning the attack in the morning as if it was nothing more than a minor hindrance to him. Perhaps Snape was reading too much into the smallest of actions and his life as a spy was catching up to him. Nevertheless, he decided to keep an eye on Black. There was much more to him than met the eye. He decided to speak with Albus and professor Babbling about the wards and the situation.

"You aren't in trouble, are you, Harry?" said a voice from besides him. Harry had been so engrossed in eating and mulling over his thoughts that he had completely missed Hermione coming over from the Gryffindor table and sitting by him. She had seen him talking to Snape and had probably felt that he was in some problem. He felt a warm glow inside to know that she still cared, despite being in a different house, and that they were still friends.

He gave her a bright smile, "Morning, Hermione. Nope, professor Snape only wanted to talk about some problems in the house. Some seventh years were hanging upside down in front of my door in the morning with their garments in full display for the world, and he thought I had something to do with it. But I was sleeping like a log the whole night, and I am not so adept at magic that I can stop three seventh years from harming me while being asleep". He winked at her.

"They attacked you? Did you complain? This isn't right! And…" Hermione was about to go into a full blown rant, when Harry quickly took a slice of toast and popped it into her mouth. Her words stopped suddenly and she looked a mixture of embarrassed and angry at his actions. "Ha-phee, yo—mpph", she tried to say, before giving it up and munching on the toast.

"Relax, Hermione. I took care of it. I don't like bullies", he said simply. Hermione's eyes widened at that, and she thought of Harry the situation the seventh years had ended up in. Not only had they spent the whole night upside down, and with who knows what other troubles, they had also incurred the wrath of their head of house for their stupidity and their actions. Harry had cut them off at their teeth, and they had ended up humiliated. They also faced actions from Severus Snape, who by the accounts of the Gryffindors was not someone you messed with. Harry's plan had been Slytherin from inception to end. She nodded slowly, in awe of the diabolical way he had taken care of those who had attempted to harm him without leaving any proof to implicate himself. He'd probably made a number of enemies today, but his reputation would have been enhanced by quite a margin in the house of snakes. In her awe, she forgot to close her jaws which were hung open until Harry said, "Close your mouth, Hermione. The toast will fall out". She quickly chomped her jaw shut and hit him good naturedly on the shoulder. "Prat," she said fondly.

"What is she doing here?" sneered a voice from behind them.

Draco Malfoy had arrived with his two cronies, Flabbe and Loyle, or whatever their names were.

Hermione's face went down at that, but Harry held her hand tightly before she could even think of leaving.

"What's it to you?" He replied coldly.

"The mudblood is sullying the purity of Slytherin," he said.

By now a few of their other first year mates had arrived, while the elder years had already left for their classes. Only the first years remained. Daphne and Tracy watched the proceedings, appraising the situation and Harry's actions. Nott looked impassive, while Pansy stared at them derisively, as if Draco's words were the gospel.

"Who do you think you are? A newbie in Slytherin, and you think you can let your mudblood friends sit here?" said Draco with contempt. "You don't even have a family name", he snorted.

The others looked at Harry, awaiting his reply. Most expected him to back down against Malfoy. Even Hermione was silently tugging at Harry, as if saying that it was okay and that she would go to her own table. But Harry held her hand tightly and in the silence said one single word, soft and smooth, yet his voice holding unmistakable power.

"Black", was all he said.

"What?" asked Malfoy, a hint of fear entering his demeanour.

"The name's Black. Harry Black", he smirked at Malfoy, doing his best imitation of James Bond, though he knew that only Hermione would get that part. "You know the most Ancient and Noble House of Black, right, Malfoy?" His voice was like cold steel, simmering with menace.

"No, you can't-"said Malfoy, before his words were cut short by Harry putting a knuckled fist in front of his face. He blanched, expecting a blow, before realizing that Harry was showing him a ring inlaid with a single black stone in its centre. The Black Family ring, worn by the head of the family, or his heir.

Harry looked at him scornfully. "Respect your betters, Malfoy". But he did not have to say more, as seeing the Heir of the Black family seemed to have knocked the air out of Draco. He stumbled away from Harry, and left quickly without a backward glance. His lackeys appeared confused before they too followed him.

For the first time, even Daphne appeared awed by the situation. Nott nodded at Harry, while Tracy merely looked confused. Pansy gave him a nasty look before following Draco.

"What was all that about?" whispered Hermione.

Harry put a small finger on her lips and murmured, "Later. Let's go now, or we'll be late for class". Together, they left for their first class of the day

"Meet me by the Great Hall tonight after curfew and I'll explain" said Harry just before they entered the Transfiguration classroom.

Hermione nodded. It was only her first day at the school, and Hogwarts was already turning out to be quite an experience.

**Author's note:**Reviews make me write faster. The more the reviews, the faster I write. Hope you liked this one! ;)


	4. Chapter 4: Friendship

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all the reviews, I'm glad you are liking the story. Wrote this chapter on my phone to deliver it quickly. Someone asked why Hermione didn't question about meeting up afer curfew, well that's because she was too shocked with the events of the morning. She will question him soon. And someone mentioned that I have been inspired by the original Warlock of Slytherin and haven't mentioned it anywhere. I disagree, that was a fic which I liked, but this is not going to go in its direction, nor did I see an Iris or alive Sirius there. I will not be bashing characters for the heck of it, instead I shall try to keep them as true to their original behaviour as possible and see how they develop as the story grows. This is just the beginning, keep reading to find out more. And thank you for all the positivity and love. It keeps me going. Now enough of me, here's a brand new chapter for y'all! :)

**Chapter 4: Friendship**

Harry and Hermione were the first to enter the Transfiguration classroom and took the benches at the front. Barring them, there was only a dark tabby cat sitting on Professor McGonagall's desk. Harry smirked at the cat and gave it a short wave.  
>The cat's eyelids narrowed at the greeting, but that was it.<br>Hermione looked askance at Harry's weird actions, but when he did not offer any explanation, she ignored his odd behaviour, chalking it up as more of his oddness.  
>Soon, the classroom was filled with the first year Gryffindors and Slytherins. Some of the students from both houses looked oddly at the weird pair seated at the front.<br>Daphne and Tracy took the seats on the row besides theirs, while Draco sneered at Harry and Hermione from the back of that row. Some of the Gryffindors took the seats behind the pair of Harry and Hermione, and slowly the class was filled.

That was when there was a slight disturbance. The door banged open and in stepped Ronald Weasley, Daniel Potter, Neville Longbottom, and Iris Potter.  
>"Ah, made it in time. Thank god McGonagall's not here" piped Ron Weasley. Daniel looked triumphant, Neville just appeared pale, and Iris slammed a hand to her forehead.<br>No sooner had Ron completed his proclamation that the tabby cat sitting on the desk jumped forth and transformed into Professor McGonagall.  
>Ron and Daniel appeared scared, Neville had turned whiter- if that was even possible, and Iris just appeared anxious and annoyed.<p>

"Thank you for gracing the class with your presence, Mister Weasley and Mister Potter," McGonagall said sternly, sarcasm dripping from her tone.  
>"Um...Professor McGonagall, I can explain...we couldn't find the classroom due to the moving staircases and Peeves waylaid us," Daniel said hastily, trying for damage control.<br>Iris' expression appeared even more annoyed at this.  
>"Really? But I banished Peeves from my classroom mere moments before the class began. How did he have enough time to find you and then trouble you in that short amount of time?" Said McGonagall.<p>

"Well...Erm...you see, Peeves didn't exactly trouble us..." stuttered Daniel.  
>"Peeves did nothing, professor," Iris spoke up. "We got late because Ron wasn't ready to wake up on time, and these two weren't willing to follow me to the classroom directly, they wanted to find the way on their own, and do some exploring on the way. I had to go with them to prevent them from getting in trouble".<br>"Thank you for being honest, Miss Potter. 5 points to Gryffindor for looking after your fellow house mates. You may take a seat".

Iris gave her brother a dirty look, and without further ado stepped forward to find herself a seat. The only place free at the front was the seat next to Harry. She went and plopped herself there, surprising Harry.  
>The other three had moved to take seats at the back, when McGonagall spoke, "I did not tell you three to move".<br>They paled.  
>"5 points from Gryffindor for lateness." The Ron and Daniel heaved a sigh of relief.<br>"From each of you," added McGonagall.  
>"You can't do that" piped up Ron.<br>"We're your own house members", shouted Daniel. Neville just looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there.  
>"And I am most displeased by your actions today. Lying will not be tolerated by me. Detention to the two of you for lying to a professor and disrupting class. Now go and take your places before I decide to make it a week of detentions."<br>The trio quickly took a seat at the back of the class. They tried to catch Iris' eye but she pointedly ignored them.

"But Peeves wasn't in the classroom when we entered", Hermione whispered to Harry.  
>"She called their bluff with a bluff of her own," replied Harry. "That isn't a woman you want to cross."<br>"Too damn right," muttered Iris who had heard them whispering. "You'd think Daniel would have gotten it through his thick skull when dad had warned us not to mess with McGonagall, but no, he has to get in trouble on the first day. Git".  
>Harry was caught between smirking at it and scowling at the mention of James Potter. He decided to go with politeness and nodded and offered her a thin smile.<br>Hermione smiled and waved at Iris from besides him, who responded with a huge smile and wave of her own.  
>"Now that the pleasantries are done with, let us begin with today's lesson", said McGonagall loudly.<br>Iris and Hermione blushed abashedly, though McGonagall hadn't heard them and was talking to the class in general. Harry looked straight ahead, slipping on his emotionless mask.

"Today we're going to learn how to transform a matchstick into a pin. The wand movements are as follows", McGonagall described the process of the transformation and the movements and bade the students to try it out on their own.  
>Harry was the first to finish his transfiguration, followed by Hermione. Iris managed to do hers soon after Hermione.<br>After ten minutes, McGonagall spoke up, "Who all have finished the transfiguration yet? The first three to do so will get no homework".  
>Hermione and Iris quickly raised their hands, while Harry sat languidly looking at his pin.<br>McGonagall came over to check their work and gave them both a satisfactory nod. "5 points to you both for a successful transfiguration".  
>She was about to leave when she noticed Harry's completed work. "Mr. Harry..." She faltered. She did not know his full name yet.<br>"Black" Harry added, like he had said to Snape earlier, "I'm sure Professor Snape will update the roster with my full name by tonight".  
>With a sharp intake of breathe, McGonagall nodded. "Mr. Harry Black, why didn't you raise your hand if your work was done?"<br>"I was adding a few finishing touched," He said.  
>"Finishing touches?"<p>

Harry nodded and with a wave of his wand, showed the pin to the professor. It was a simple silver pin on first glance, but on looking closely the Hogwarts motto could be discerned rolling in vertical waves around the pin. 'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titilandus'.  
>The words were in the lightest of green and gold, and glittered like the scales of a Dragon.<br>McGonagall looked visibly impressed with his effort.

"My, Mr. Black, this is an extremely advanced and delicately detailed transfiguration. Beyond anything I would expect from a first year. Marvellous," she said with a smile. "25 points to Slytherin for what is akin to a work of art." She looked both proud and a tad confused at how a young lad had managed such a complex and delicate transfiguration. She nodded at the three and left.

Hermione looked visibly impressed and even Iris was surprised.  
>"Wow, Harry that looks beautiful". Harry shrugged. "You can have it if you like it," he said.<br>Hermione blushed, before taking the proffered gift.  
>"Yeah, the detailing and the delicacy of the movement to get it just right is something which even a third year would have trouble with. You need a lot of concentration to add such detail to a simple transfiguration.<br>Harry blushed a bit under the praise and mumbled a soft "thanks".  
>Iris smiled widely at him.<p>

The class was done and they were the lucky three to get away without any homework. By the end of it, even the nervous Longbottom had managed to get his transfiguration right.  
>Once their class was done, they began packing their bags to head down to Potions.<p>

"Do you mind if I tag along with you?" Iris asked. "I don't fancy being late again and suffering just because of my brother's idiocy and the Weasley's weird antics".  
>Before Harry could say anything, Hermione jumped delightedly and had agreed. Belatedly she thought of asking Harry if he minded, "You don't mind, do you Harry?"<p>

Harry replied with a shrug and decided to be polite. She maybe James' daughter, but she does not seem to be a git like Daniel.  
>"Sure, as long as she doesn't mind hanging around with a Slytherin" he tried to make a joke to break the ice between them.<br>Iris grinned at him, "Not if the Slytherin is as talented as you are. Iris Potter, nice to meet you," she said holding out a hand.  
>Harry shook it with a small smile, "Harry Black, as you already know".<br>"Friends?" Asked Iris her grin wider than ever.  
>"Friends," said Harry, smiling, affected by her enthusiasm.<br>"Yay!" Said Hermione suddenly, and tried to grab them both in a hug, causing them to tumble down in a heap.  
>"Oops, sorry," said Hermione as she tried to untangle herself from them.<br>"It's alright" said Harry, standing and helping Iris up with him. Iris just beamed at the both of them.  
>"Let's head off then, shall we?" Iris asked.<br>"Let's!" Agreed Hermione, grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him forward who was in the midst of dusting herself. He grinned at the girl's enthusiasm and followed her, as she held onto his and Iris' hands and dragged them to the dungeons.

Friends...he thought. Yes, he decided that he quite liked this thing called friendship.

**Authors note:** See, your reviews made me writer faster! :) Thank you for the love! And to the questions about Harry staying with the Durselys despite Sirius adopting him, well, as Robert Jordan used to say: RAFO ;) And you can always hit me up with a message on here or on twitter if you have questions about it. The information's in my profile. Keep reading and reviewing, friends! And Hope you are all having a great new year! :)


	5. Chapter 5: Potions and Defense

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all the reviews! See, they made me write another quick chapter! And the formatting for the last one has been _reparo_-d. Shout-out to iowa-tarheel for finding an error in the previous chapter and saving me the blushes. It has been duly fixed. Here's a shiny new chapter for y'all. Enjoy! :)

**Chapter 5: Potions and Defense**

**"****There, look."**

**"****Where?"**

**"****Next to the tall kid with the red hair."**

**"****Wearing the glasses?"**

**"****Did you see his face?"**

**"****Did you see his scar?"**

Whispers followed Daniel from the moment he left the Transfiguration classroom. People lined up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. This stupid hero worship annoyed Harry who had yet to see his _brother_ do any spectacular piece of magic. Daniel and Ron both had superior smiles and were basking in all the attention as they made their way to the Potions classroom.

"Gotta face the greasy git today," Harry heard Daniel tell Ron and Neville distastefully.

"And in a classroom full of Slytherins," Ron added making a face.

Harry quickened his steps and entered the classroom, Iris and Hermione chatting together at his side. He took a seat at the front of the class, hoping that it would keep him away from exploding cauldrons and the other disasters which were waiting to happen in the class. At least sitting at the front would keep him away from the bulk of those, unless the professor messed up, which he knowing his luck, was quite possible.

"From the look on your face I take it you don't think much of my brother?"

He looked to his side, snapping out of his musings.

"Oh, well, not exactly. But he decided that I was evil just because I said all Slytherins weren't evil on the Express. I'm sure finding out I'm a Black will reinforce his opinion. Then he tried to convince Hermione that I was evil, so yeah, not the greatest of impressions".

Iris frowned, "I'll talk to that git."

"No, that's alright", said Harry, "It doesn't affect me. It just affects my opinion of him".

Iris' frown deepened and she bit her lip, "You know he wasn't always like this…but all the media attention about the Boy-Who-Lived…" She trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. Harry didn't press and Hermione looked confused.

By then, the rest of the class had entered and Daniel and his friends took the seats in the middle of the class, while Draco took the front row on the other side of the class. It wasn't even the first day and already there were clear lines separating the Gryffindors and the Slytherins, with Harry, Hermione and Iris in a bubble of their own at the front.

"Hey Iris, why don't you leave the dirty snake and join us? You too? Hermione" shouted Daniel from the back, giving Harry a dirty look.

Harry kept his face devoid of expressions, and only his eyes flashed green with annoyance at being labelled so.

Iris gave Harry and apologetic look. "He's my friend, stop insulting him or I'll tell Dad".

"Dad would be ashamed at you for talking with dirty Slytherins," Daniel shouted back at her venomously. "Come and sit with your true family," He said, pointing at himself and the other Gryffindors.

'Family…' that comment stung at Harry however hard he tried to ignore it. If only you knew, he thought.

"Hermione tell her," Daniel said hoping she would convince his sister.

"Harry is my friend and if you continue insulting him, I will inform Professor McGonaggal that your conduct is unbecoming of one from Gryffindor house", she said sternly.

Daniel paled a little at that, remembering his earlier woes. Ronald stood up to take his side, when the doors to the classroom closed with a deep thud and a pale, hook nosed man entered the room, his black robes billowing behind him.

Snape, started the class by taking the roll call. He ignored the name Iris Potter, and his eyes narrowed as he said the name, "Harry Black" in a sharp whisper, who replied with crisply.

**He paused at Daniel's name.**

**"****Ah, ****_yes,_****" ****he said softly, "Daniel Potter. Our new — ****_celebrity._****" ****Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think**

**of dark tunnels.**

**"****You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little**

**foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**

**More silence followed this little speech.**

Harry and Iris exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the

edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Daniel Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air fast as a viper. Harry remained quiet.

"Perhaps the grease oil that you use as shampoo?" said Daniel with a mocking sneer.

Snape looked shocked at the cheek of the boy, and he said, "25 points from Gryffindor for insulting a professor."

Daniel gave a mock bow to his fellow Gryffindors who just looked pale and scared, and traded a high five with Ron.

Hermione looked appalled and had her hands over her mouth, shocked at his audacity. Iris had put her palm to her face again, as if it would erase the insanity of the proceedings.

Hermione stretched her right hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Snape ignored her. Daniel looked at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were torn between laughter at the loss of points for their rivals and fear at the casual mockery that their head of house was receiving.

"Up your arse, maybe? That's the only way you must have managed to survive after your Master fell," said Daniel with a mocking smile.

Iris groaned besides Harry, while Hermione had clamped her left hand on her mouth, the insult shocking her even more than the previous one.

"50 points from Gryffindor and a weeks of detentions for you, Potter. Clearly fame isn't everything. I will also be speaking to your Head of House about your conduct," sneered Snape.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"A monk's hood won't look good on a wolf's head? Much like a Death Eater doesn't look good in Hogwarts", said Daniel with a cruel smirk. Most of the students were shocked at this, and Hermione landed back on her seat with a thump. Iris buried her head in her book, trying to wipe the world away. Harry's eyes widened at that, but otherwise he showed no outward signs of surprise.

Both the Slytherins and Gryffindors looked scared and shocked and were awaiting Snape's response.

They were even more shocked when he did not utter a single word in anger, merely said coldly, "50 more points from Gryffindor and one more week's detention for insulting a professor, lack of respect and manners. Is this how the Head of the Auror department's son behaves?"

Daniel was on his feet at the last sentence and was about to reply with a rant when Iris screamed at him, "Will you stop this stupidity. Gryffindor will be in negative points by the end of the day if you keep going on."

Daniel's words ended on his lips at the anger on his sister's face and irritation n Hermione's face. The other Gryffindors were caught between anger at him losing so many points and awe that anyone would talk to the feared Potions Master in such a way. The Death Eater part had scared most of the class as well.

"Take note from your sister's book, Daniel. 5 points to Gryffindor for showing some sense", said Snape.

**"****For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"**

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment.**

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs,**

**criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.**

**Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.**

**"****Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"**

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

**"****Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at **Daniel**. **"Useless dunderhead".

With Daniel's departure, the class got quieter, with Ron setting his robes on fire being the only other thing of note. The fumes had made the atmosphere unsuitable for Potions and class had to be ended early.

"I'll see you guys later. I need to talk to Daniel about his idiocy in the Potions classroom", she said grimly and dashed to the Hospital Wing.

Hermione looked angry, though whether it was because of the loss of points or the Professor not asking to answer the questions, Harry did not know. So he deigned to stay quiet as they quietly made their way to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom.

The DADA classroom was dimly lit and smelled of staleness and decay. There was a hint of garlics in the air and it all had a feeling of general mustiness. The professor Quirrel stood wearing purple robes and a weird turban. He spoke with a stutter and it made deciphering his words a difficult task for the students.

The professor appeared confused for a few seconds when he saw Harry, almost as if he was surprised to see him. He called out the names of students much like the other professors and the slightest hint of a frown was seen on his face on seeing no reply from either of the Potters.

"They've gone to the Hospital Wing due to a mishap in Potions," Ron said when the class was asked about their absence.

But most curious was the slight double take he did on seeing the prominent green eyes of Harry Black and the expressionless face of the young Slytherin who stared back at him. Quirrel stuttered quite a bit more after that before droning on with his lesson. Harry had the beginnings of a headache whenever he looked at Quirrel and if he continued staring at him, the pain would grow until he felt a dull throbbing in his head, as if someone were taking a jackhammer and cracking it open from the inside.

Hermione looked a little concerned at Harry's sudden winces of pain, but refrained from questioning when he answered with a hushed, "later".

"Well, that was an utterly useless lesson," said Harry, catching his head once the class was over and he was a few corridors and floors away from it.

Before he could say anything else, Hermione grabbed his hands and dragged him into an empty broom closet.

She shut it and whispered a locking charm and looked at Harry. "Explain," She demanded.

Harry, who in his surprise had let her drag him away was only just regaining his bearings when she spoke the single word like a command.

Ah, he'd stalled for as long as possible, and she looked determined. Better to answer as much as possible before moving to a more secure location.

"Alright, I'll tell you some of it, but not all. Meet me tonight after curfew and I'll fill you in the rest of the details".

"I've already had a crazy first day here, why do you want to get into trouble by meeting after curfew? If someone finds us, we'll be in a lot of trouble and Gryffindor has already lost a lot of points!"

"What I have to say can only be shared in a secure location, and a broom cupboard is not one of those. So if you want to know more, you'll have to risk it".

Hermione appeared conflicted at the idea of rule breaking, but she did want to know what exactly was going on here with her first friend.

Harry saw her confusion and tried to reason with her. "Don't worry, I promise we won't get caught. Please?" He even gave her his best puppy eyes expression, which finally made her wilt.

"Alright, Black, but you better start explaining some of it now," she said in a huff.

Harry smiled brightly at her and sat on an upturned bucket. Hermione arched an eyebrow at his behaviour but remained standing.

Harry sighed, ran a hand through his untidy, black hair, and asked her, "What do you want to know?"

"I have a list of questions ready. I haven't written it down, obviously, but I have them all thought out", she spoke in a hurried tone.

"Why am I not surprised?" Harry winked at her.

"Prat", Hermione said, giving him a mock punch.

"Shoot", Harry said.

"Okay..." Hermione began.

"Why do you dislike Daniel Potter? I mean other than the obvious reasons, there seems to be more than that. The way you eye him with distaste, it's clear that there's some animosity you hold with him. Do you know him?"

Harry was surprised with this question. He had expected something along the lines of how was he able to do such an advanced Transfiguration to begin with. Hermione sure didn't believe in beating around the bush.

"Wow…alright, that's a tough one. See, I don't dislike him per say, there's just a lot going on here which I can't explain properly. At least not in a musty broom closet".

"Can't or won't?" asked an irate Hermione.

"Both," said Harry, moving a hand through his hair, a tense expression on his face. "I'll try to explain some of it tonight if you meet me after curfew in a secure place. There are things which I wouldn't want to explain unless I'm sure that we are warded from prying eyes and ears".

Hermione gave him an annoyed glance and spoke, "I'll hold you to that".

Harry nodded solemnly.

"Now, what happened with Professor Snape in the morning? The surprise when he heard the name Black? And Malfoy's reaction to it as well, as if he'd seen a ghost…well he'd have been less shocked on seeing a ghost since Hogwarts is stacked with them, but you get my point," She asked in a fast rant in a single breath.

"You ask difficult questions, Hermione", he said. He hadn't expected anyone to catch the slight widening of Snape's eyes in surprise at the name. Hermioen Granger was truly a perceptive girl to discern so much from the smallest of actions.

"The Black's have been a dark family," he said. "Hell, they were known as the darkest of families and their enemies usually suffered grisly and violent ends. Barring Sirius Black, I don't think there is any Black who could be called as anything less than a sociopath. This reputation has been well earned and there were rumours that almost all of them were in league with Voldemort. But truly, the Black's association with Dark Magic goes back centuries, long before the origin of Voldemort. So I suppose its expected that people will be giving me a wide berth once they find out that I'm a Black. That's why Malfoy looked so scared in the morning, he must have thought that Sirius was the last of the Black line. The news of a Black heir will spread fast and that's why I wanted to keep it quiet. They had enemies, many enemies. Some who wouldn't mind killing me for some centuries old blood feud which no one even remembers now. Hell, even most light aligned families would look the other way if it happened, that's the amount of hatred the Black name has gathered over the decades. And that's why Daniel thinks I'm dark as well" Harry finished speaking with a heavy sigh, though the last was said with a derisive snort.

Hermione had her hand's clamped over her mouth on hearing the horrific deeds of the family and that people wouldn't mind killing Harry for some twisted notion of vengeance.

"Oh Harry…" was all she managed to say before engulfing him a fierce hug. "Nothing will happen to you. And I'll stand by you no matter what," she said, grabbing him tightly.

Harry was surprised by her sudden actions but welcome the warmth of it. "Thank you, Hermione," He managed to whisper in her ear, overcome with emotion. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her. A part of him had expected that she would run away on hearing what he had to say, but the fierceness of her embrace and emotions drove all such notions from his mind.

Hermione Granger was a truly special person. As she held him tight, he let all the emotions he usually held at distance wash over him, and for the first time in a long time, Harry truly _felt_.

**Author's Note:** Read and review, please. It'll make me write even faster.

Question- Would you be interested in reading an original story written by me? Answer via message or review. Thanks!

Oh, and things are about to get hairy for Harry in the coming years. *Gets coat and flees*

Have a good one, folks!


	6. Interlude: An Apology

Hello readers, I am extremely sorry about my sudden disappearance and being unable to stick to my once a fortnight posting schedule. Majorly because I was working and had no time to focus on writing, which has always been my passion and my calling.

Luckily, my contract has ended and now I am back to writing full time. I currently have two original projects on full length novels at work, and also two anthologies in the making. But that does not mean that I will be ignoring this series. The next chapter is already being written and should be posted around the weekend.

The tone of the chapters is going to change after the end of first year. It won't be as light or have that much silliness, with the advent of war, everything will change. With that in mind, remember that the characters will develop as per the situation and may develop differently than the way you imagine them to be. But then, isn't that part of the fun?

As an apology for my prolonged absence, I am posting a fight sequence from one of the latter years. This is the final (probably) fight between Hermione and Bellatrix Lestrange. I will post it as a separate story and put the link here, since I don't want to mess the chapters by putting it here. Nonetheless, it is a part of this story itself, and you may think of it as a peep into the future, a future which is ravaged by war and the fight between the Light and the Darkness. It is gritty, it is dark, and it is insane, as battles generally are, consider this as a Trigger Warning of sorts, if that sort of thing affects you (yes,, I am reading Neil Gaiman's trigger Warning currently).

Anyway, without further ado, here is the link to that *epic* battle- s/11095344/1/The-Duel-Hermione-VS-Bellatrix-Where-Insanity-and-Instincts-Collide

If the link doesn't work then you can find it in my stories. It's called, '**The Duel: Hermione VS Bellatrix, Where Insanity and Instincts Collide'.**

Question: Who are you rooting for? ;)

Now back to writing. Read and review as always. Much love, fellow Potterheads.

-Pip Pip-


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